Protests had erupted in several parts of Kangpokpi district on Sunday night, as agitators burned tyres on many roads and blocked several stretches with logs and bouldersPolice have since managed to clear some of the roads.
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Manipur Unrest
New Delhi: Normal life was affected in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district for the second successive day on Tuesday with the closure of markets and business establishments, as a tribal organisation observed a shutdown to protest against alleged state government’s inaction in the killing of two youthsSeveral goods vehicles heading towards Imphal on a national highway could not enter Kangpokpi and were left stranded in neighbouring Senapati, police said.
Additional security forces were deployed in the district to prevent any unwanted incident, a senior officer saidThe Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) had called the shutdown to condemn the alleged state government’s inaction over the killing of two Kuki civilians.
Why Bandh Was Called?
On Sunday morning, mutilated bodies of the two youths, who had gone missing a few days ago, were found in a hilly stretch in adjoining SenapatiFollowing the recovery of the bodies, CoTU had called a 24-hour shutdown in Kangpokpi from Sunday, and extended it by 48 hours on Monday night.
The Kuki organisation said the shutdown was extended to protest against the government’s “shameful indecision, unacceptable silence and continued failure to initiate any tangible action to deliver justice for the brutal and inhumane killing of two innocent Kuki Zo civilians”.
The tribal organisation also said the Kuki-Zo people would not accept “empty assurances and administrative excuses in place of justice”, and demanded a time-bound action against those responsible.
Manipur’s Ethenic Conflict:
In Manipur, the ethnic conflict that erupted in May 2023 between the valley-based Meitei and hill-based Kuki communities has claimed at least 306 lives, while 49 people remain missing and thousands have been left homelessIn recent months, clashes between Kuki and Naga communities have also been reported.
BJP’s callous indifference, gross incompetence pushed Manipur into prolonged crisis: Congress
Amid a fresh spate of violence in Manipur, the Congress on Monday alleged that the BJP’s “callous indifference” and “gross incompetence” have pushed the strategically vital border state into a prolonged crisis.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge made the allegation after detailed discussions with senior leaders of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee and called for ending the BJP’s “misrule” in the upcoming state polls.
Besides Kharge, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary organisation K C Venugopap, AICC in-charge of Manipur Saptagiri Ulaka, former chief minister and Manipur Congress chief Ibobi Singh, Congress legislature party leader K Meghachandra, among others, attended the meeting here.
In a post on X, Kharge said he held detailed discussions with senior leaders of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee on the grave challenges confronting the state.
“The BJP’s political arrogance, callous indifference and gross incompetence have pushed this strategically vital border state into a prolonged crisisHaving presided over the deterioration of law and order, the BJP leadership has sought to vanish, evading accountability as the situation spiralled out of control,” he alleged.
